1. Field
The embodiments relate to computer system backup, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for providing differential bandwidth-efficient and storage-efficient backups and restoration.
2. Description of the Related Art
As computer systems, such as personal computers (PCs), servers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), cellular telephones, etc. assume a more centralized role as the life repository of schedules, documents, digital photos, movies and recordings, etc., the exposure to loss of system functionality and use becomes increasingly great. This is because the information lost may truly be information that cannot be recreated, regardless of the cost or effort. Backing up and restoring data on computer systems can be problematic for many computer users. Even though users have their mission-critical personal or business data on their computer systems, which may have required hundreds or even thousands of hours to create, many users do not take appropriate steps to guarantee that their data is preserved in case of a catastrophic event. Such catastrophic events can include system failures, hard drive failures, fire, or other disasters.
If a user of a computer system believes that they cannot reliably store, and thus recover valuable information, these users may be unwilling to use the computer system as a repository for important information. Therefore, data protection security may prove to be a formidable barrier to digital technology adoption. Other problems that a user may have with backing up data are the time it takes to complete a backup, the reliability of the backup destination, and the ease of use of a backup system.